Last



May 19, 1931. R. D. POOLE 1,806,417

LAST

Filed Feb. 5, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l May 19, 1931. R. D. Poom-2 1,806,417

LAST

Filed Feb. 5, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ewe'n- Rascoepaolea Patented May 19, 1931 NITED s'rArns Partnr rtree ROSCOE D. POOLE, F DANVERS, TfIASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HER- BERT A. MLLER, OF DANVERS, MASSACHUSETTS LAST Application led February 5, 1930. Serial No. 426,120.

My invention relates to boot and shoe lasts and it has for its object to provide an improved device of the class described.

In the manufacture of certain kinds of boots and shoes, particularly stitch-down and turned shoes, it is the practice to place both the sole and the upper upon a last to which they are held while the upper is sewed to the sole.

The usual practice has been to secure the sole to the last by means of two tacks, one driven through the sole into the bottom of the last at the Vfore part of the latter and the other driven into the bottom of the last adjacent the heel thereof. These two tacks were depended upon to hold the sole in proper position with relation to the last while the upper was being sewed, or otherwise fastened, to the sole.

This old method was objectionable for the reason that the sole was mutilated and disiigured by the tacks and the repeated or continued driving of tacks into the bottom of the last soon destroyed the latter or rendered it unfit for use. Furthermore the shoemaker would often drive a tack through the sole and into the last and then, if the sole was not in correct position with relation to the last, it was necessary for him to remove one or both of the tacks and after readjusting the sole again fasten it to the last by means of two tacks.

Owing to the fact that these tacks were usually driven fully into the sole so that the heads thereof were flush with the tread side of the latter, the removal of a tack could not be effected by means of a tack-pulling instrument without further mutilation and disfigurement of the tread side of the sole.

Heretofore it has been proposed to construct a two-part last with two or more spike members movably mounted in sockets or chambers at the bottom of the last and operated by relative movement of the two parts of the last so that when said two parts were adjusted relatively for use the barbs of the spike members were projected from the bottom of the last into the sole, and when adjusted relatively for removal of the last from the shoe said barbs would be retracted.

Lasts constructed in this fashion did not fully meet the requirements for the reason that the spike members served only to hold the sole against edgewise displacement relatively to the last. has been no last construction heretofore pro posed which would function to positively fasten the sole to the bottom of the last so as to hold it against bodily movement directly away .from the latter.

My invention provides a last for use in mak ing boots and shoes provided at its bottom .with means for positively engaging and locking a sole in position against the bottom thereof so that said' sole cannot move either edgewlse with relation to, or bodily away from, the last.

In the best form of my invention the soleengaging means of the last does not project beyond the tread of the sole and it operates to hold the latter in position against the bottom of the last by engagement with the top portion only of the sole so that the bottom of the latter is not disigured or mutilated.

Thus by my invention the use of tacks is obviated as are also the objectionable features above pointed out as characterizing the constructions heretofore proposed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view of a boot and shoe last constructed in accordance with my invention showing a sole attached thereto and indicating, by dotted lines, the upper of a shoe.

Figure 2 is a plan View of the last shown in Figure l.

Figure 3 is an elevation of the fore-part spike member hereinafter described.

Figure 4 is an elevation, partly in section, of the bushing provided for the spike mem ber of Fig. 3. i

Figure 5 illustrates an alternative construction. y

The body l of the last herein illustrated is preferably made from one piece of material, preferably wood, and may be provided, as usual, with a socket 2 to receive the spindle of a jack.

Near its rear end the body 1 is formed with a vertical bore into which is forcibly driven,

So far as I am aware -Lwith anannular shoulder 19 providing an or otherwiseV fixed, a tubular bushing 3 whose interior provides 'a chamber 8 for a soleen gaging screw-member 4 provided with a slotted' head 5 which may be reached 'and operated by means-of a screw driver inserted in the upper open end of the bushing 3.

' At Qits lower end the screw-member 4 is more orlesspointedkand formed with a screw n thread 6 so that, by means of the screw driver ,referredtonthe inember4 can-be .forceddowfn-Y wardly'against asole placed beneath the last body 1, and then rotated thereby to Y screw thelower end of the latter into the ma.-

' e of thehead `V5 ofscrew-member4 4: isbrought to bear to limit the vdownward movement of that the )lower threaded end 6 of screw.mem-

terial of the'sole 7 from the top side thereof.

' The chamber 8 provided by the bushing 3 is lformed withan annularshoulder 9 which servesY as a stop againstwhich the lower end the latter. dl-his shoulder 9 is positioned `so ber4 kcannot =be projected below the bottom of 'y the lastniore than'tilie thickness of t he sole?.

As Vmeans'for yieldingly holding Vthe screw- :m'ember 4 retracted and sheathed within its bushing 3 whennot in usel provide a ,coiled springl@ bearing at its lower end against an annular shoulder 11 provided within the bushing 3, Aand at its Lipper end against theh'ead `5. When screw-,member 4 isrotated in a direction to disengage it from the sole 7 the Y spring 1.0 moves saidscrew-niember inwardn ly and upwardly until its head 5 comes to bear against an annular shoulder 12Uprovided within the bushing?) near the upper end thereof. v This shoulder Y1-2 'isfthe lower lend of a sleeve orl ferr-ule 13 fixed in position within the upper end of bushingv 3.l It will be clear that when the 'screw ineinber 4 is lin threaded engagement with Vthe inaterialof the sole 7 the heel portion of the latter is not only heldagainst edgewise displacement in any direction with relation to the last,but it is also fastened to the last so thatit is held against bodily movement away from the same. y Y

rlhe fore-partof my improved last is made withan obliquely disposed bore .into which is' :fo-reed, or otherwise fixed, a tubular bushingl '14 providing a chamber 15 within whieh'is fin'ovably mounted a spike-member 16 having its lower end portion made as a smooth needle `point 17a-nd its upper end with a slotted y y' head 18p Near its lower endthe bushing 14I'is niade abutment-seat for one end ofva coiled spring 2,0: surrounding theV shank of spike-member 16 andbearing at its upper end against the head 18.l

showiiin the lower end portion ofthe head 18 is made upon its exterior with i v two" or three screw thread co-nvolutions 21 to co-o'perate with two or three screw thread c'onvolutionsv 2 2 provided within bushing 14,

Fig. 1.j

said threads 22` being shown clearly iny Fig. 4.`

Adjacent the upper end of the bushing 14 the latter is also provided upon its interior with an annular shoulder 23 which is the inner end of a short sleeve or ferrule 24 fixed in position within said bushing. Thus the upper end of the :bushing 14 is fopen to 'admit a screw driver by means of which the spike-member 16 may be operated.

In F ig. 1 of the drawingstlie threads-21of spike-member 16 are shown as in engagement with the threads 22 of bushing 14, and the inner end ofthe head 18 is shown as bearing against anannular stop-shoulder 25 provided because it is held against edgewise movement '-iln. that direction by the lower end of the..

screw-member 4; Y Y rlhus, when screw-member 4 and spike- Amember 16 are both inV engagement with the sole of theshoe that is being made, said sole cannotV befdisplaced in any direction rela-Vv tively to the last, and furthermore, since in the best form of my invention neither the screw-member 4' nor the spike-member 16 perforates'the sole, the outer tread side of the latter will not be -marked `or dis'rgured in any way. Thus my invention provides means for positively engaging the top sideportion onlyV of the soleto Vfasten-the latter tothe last and hold it againstv displacement in any direction. Y

` To disengage the spilre' member from the sole said spike-member 1s rotated ina .di-

'rection to unscrew the threadsv 21V from'the threads 22 and as soon as these threads are disengaged the spring '20shoves the spikel member upwardly into position against the stop shoulder 23, therebysheathing the lower end of SaidiSPkrV member wholly within the bushing 14, I i' vit Win therefore be Citar that when the last is not'in use thepointedl ends of the members f4 and 16 are wholly' inclosed and therefore, cannotV engage.' orV injure Vrother thingswith which the last may come into contact.

It will also be clear that YI have. provided y very simple and eicient means for fastening the sole tothe last against Vdisplacement Vrelatively thereto while it is being sewed or otherwise fastenedV to theupper of the shoe, the

latter beingindicatedbyfdotted lines at 25,

' 'In Figure 5 I have illustrated an alternative construction wherein the spike member '16 is extended upwardly beyond the top of the last and provided with a finger piece or head 16a by means of which it is manipulated. Also, the screw member i at the heel of the last is extended upwardly beyond the top of the latter and provided with a linger piece 4a by means of which it is manipulated. In this form of the invention the use of a screw driver is dispensed with.

It will be noted that the shoulder 9 is positioned so as to stop the downward movement of the screw member 4 before the lower pointed end thereof passes through the sole S. Likewise the shoulder 25 arrests the downward movement of the spike member 16 before the lower end thereof is forced entirely through the sole.

It will therefore be clear that the tread side of the sole S is not in any way mutilated or marked by the means through which it is secured to the last during the operation of making the shoe.

What I claim is:

1. A last having its forepart made with an obliquely disposed chamber extending from the top of the last forwardly to the bottom thereof and its heel-part made with a vertically disposed chamber extending from the top of the last to the bottom thereof; a sole-engaging spike-member adjustably mounted within said obliqucly disposed chamber, and a sole-engaging screw-member adjustably mounted within said vertically disposed chamber, said two members being operable to engage and disengage a sole and when in engagement with the latter serving to hold said sole against displacement in any direction relatively to the last.

2. A last constructed in accordance with claim 1 wherein each member is rotatably mounted within its chamber and wherein means is provided for moving said spikemember longitudinally in its chamber toward and from the sole when said member is rotated and for holding said spike-member in its sole-engaging position.

3. A last constructed in accordance with claim l wherein each member is rotatable and also endwise movable in its chamber and including also means rendered effective by rotary motion of said spike-member in one direction to hold the same in its sole-engaging position, and spring means for yieldingly holding both of said members retracted and sheathed within their respective chambers when said screw-member is not in engagement with a sole and said holding means is rendered ineifective by rotary motion of said spike-member in the opposite direction.

Signed by me at Danvers, Essex County, Massachusetts, this 4th day of February,

ROSCOE D. POOLE. 

